Bomb the Music Industry!: To Leave or Die in Long IslandTo Leave or Die in Long Island (2005)self-released

Reviewer Rating: 4.5

User Rating:

Contributed by: SirensSirens(others by this writer | submit your own)Published on January 8th 2006Bomb the Music Industry! lives for their music career. A branch off of the Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Bomb! brings forth a clash of punk, ska, hardcore, and good times. With no means of profit, Bomb! makes a stance of making sure their fans come first. Hell, they would rather not eat over not playing.

Bomb the Music Industry! lives for their music career. A branch off of the Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Bomb! brings forth a clash of punk, ska, hardcore, and good times. With no means of profit, Bomb! makes a stance of making sure their fans come first. Hell, they would rather not eat over not playing a show. I think a few bands need to take some hints.

I downloaded the album (all their albums are on their webpage for free, they don't sell anything) and gave it a spin after burning it. I was stoked to finally hear this band, but within the first 5 seconds I was having other thoughts. The opening track, "Happy Anterrabae Day!," starts like a Poison album would: Loud synth, powerful guitars‚?¶a strong buildup of sorts. But wait, I thought you said this was punk! Well, within a minute after that intro, I was ready to start shouting along.

There are many faces to Bomb! There is the thrash, the ska, the punk, and lastly, the acoustic Bomb! It's all in good fun; they will have you singing along at shows, if you like it or not. The instrumentals are great and they tie in a wide variety: Bells, keyboards (the kind you hit with a mallet), synth, and the regular drum / bass / guitar outfit. To me at times they can sound like Against Me! mixed with Big D. Other times, NOFX with Pennywise.

This is definitely self-produced; at times it can seem a bit messy and choppy and some levels are off. Bomb! isn't about overproducing, plus they haven't the money. So if production is your thing, I heard AFI is coming out with a new album soon. Through a lot of sarcasm and plenty of hooks, Bomb! brings forth songs with a lot of meaning. Some melancholic, some angry, some happy, yet not many songs about girls‚?¶oh well. A lot of lyrics are aimed towards those that take for granted what they have.

I didn't have directions and I hadn't eaten anything all day.
We sucked a fat one and wasted a hundred dollars just to play.
I ate a bag of peanuts right before the windy road.
And I couldn't drink a thing all night ‚??cause of the vomit in the back my throat

Go to a Bomb the Music Industry! show, see what they have to offer. After they spray a shirt for you and hand you a plain CD-R with their hard work burned into the plastic come and comment on how shitty this band is and wrong I am. Or just download the music to your awesome iPod and enjoy.

My buddy has all the albums on his Ipod and he didnt get why I was laughing at him. Fuck Ipods,

while I eat my Mcdonalds breakfast.

Anonymous (January 18, 2006)

Awesome, awesome music. Awesome ethic. Just.. Plain awesome. First heard these guys on the Europunk sampler with their song "Ready.. Set.. No!!" from the "Album Minus Band" CD. All the idiots who claim to not like this band can go off and listen to the sucky lame emo bands spoken of in many of Bomb!'s songs.

Dude, hands down, some of the best stuff I've heard. "Congratulations..." and "Dude..." are two of the better songs on this "CD". And their love show? Shit, I was at that Chicago show (I recorded it. By the way, if any of the BTMI! people see this... I'll send the files to Jeff eventually. EVENTUALLY. Scout's honor), and it was just amazing. There were maybe 8 or 10 of us and it just worked out perfectly. Then afterwards? Straight chilling. Practically EVERYTHING was talked about.

Well. As long as your not a self worshipping prick about it then more power to....

Wait.

Anonymous (January 10, 2006)

to clear up some comments made here:

1) asob did not beg to be on the warped tour. we showed up, got kicked off, rye whiskey made us forget we got kicked off, we showed up again, got kicked off, repeat. begging to be on the warped tour would have involved sending in lame promotional material and writing letters. we wore disguises so we didn't get recognized. that's not begging, that's hysterical.

2) i've been in bands for quite a long time. bands with jeff, bands with other folks, bands by myself. no band ever got me a dime. didn't care about that. for me, going on tour and making records is a good way to get away from the bland lifestyle of posting on a "punk" website like some of the folks here. i'd like to make some music that makes people happy (see: everything i've done with jeff), music that makes people think (see: all my weirdo mathrock shit that no one likes, let alone "think about"), music that makes people think in 8-bit (see: super mario bros.). this isn't about money. number three is.

3) when i do want money, i record folk singers and talentless emo bands from "punk" websites like this one for $50-100/hour out of a gorgeous studio. and i'm really good at it. that's how i make money. not playing music.

4) dear "punk" website: review the super mario bros. cd. i'll send you a copy this week. it's chaotic videogame music that i write while under the influence of drugs. for serious. i get spins at dance clubs in brooklyn.

Nothing makes me want to bash a band more then everyone sucking their dick so hard it might come off.

I'm not going to though because I'm in a good-ish mood and I think their name is funny. Also, it is not necessary to say "they are not in it for the money!" every sixteen fucking seconds. We get it. DIY. Good job.

So what brand computer do you use and how much did your mom pay for it?

If they were out to make money, they ESPECIALLY wouldn't be in a ska band.

Haha, yeah.

Although I think these guys have something almost every other ska band I've heard (and that's a lot) don't have. I can't put my finger on it. All I know is that all my friends who aren't into Ska like this. Go figure.

If they were out to make money, they wouldn't be in a band. If they were out to make money, they ESPECIALLY wouldn't be in a ska band. Maybe you've got a guilty conscience, but they do not expect anything. They do not (as far as I am aware) have any link to paypal on their webpage where you download all their music for free. The only reason they might ask for a donation is because they hauled all their cd burning equipment and cd-rs to a show so they could give them to people, so it might be a nice gesture.

If this was some shitty high school band who pulled this schtick to guilt their lame friends into giving them money because no one would ever actually pay for their music, that is one thing. But these guys are actually good. They make music that I would have no problems with paying $10 for, so to download all their music, and have them spray me a shirt, I would have no qualms about donating 5 or 10 bucks.

And that 7" is a fundraiser. 100% of profits are going to help some guys medical bills. Don't be an asshat.

Anonymous (January 9, 2006)

Absolutely amazing, these guys are amazing and completely filled the void of ASOB's hiatus/breakup. "Album Minus Band" is my number one album of the year and I'm predicting that ASOB's "Three Cheers For Disappointment" will be my number one of 06 (assuming it actually comes out this time). Jeff Rosenstock is brilliant.

I got a CD. I didn't give them any money. I gave them food and pants when they came and played a random basement in Chicago to 8 people. I love my shirt they made, and I love this band. If you can't appreciate the aesthetic of this band then obviously you should off be listening to some Jazz Fusion or something, because part of the reason the music we listen too is so great is because it comes with personality. This band has a lot of personality, that's why it's so great. And the "these guys are in other more profitable bands" is bs. ASOB is done. I'm out, this band is the shit and I hope to share a stage with these fine gentlemen (and lady) some day.

like whats the difference between straight up selling merch and saying, heres a cdr of ours with a little insert, the suggested donation price is 5$. you dont have to but wed really appriciate it. we didnt go to the trouble of making you nice shirts, but give us one of yours and well paint our logo on it for free, suggested asking price 3 dollars or whatever. i

which band is cooler, the one who gives people empty stares when they give you 3 bucks instead of 5 or band that would be nice and sell you their cd for 3 bucks instead of the listed price of 5 because its all the money you have.

maybe i dont really get it, but it seems to me like the benefit show where you say theres a 5$ suggested donation. why not just charge 5, and eliminate the politics? i think these guys mean well really, but it gets to the point where its almost a cop out so they dont have to make good merch. now theyre doing a 7" with rick johnson? hmm.....

okay, so you can have one band that begged their way on to the warped tour and operates like any other band and then another that is so DIY they don't wanna get paid and that's such an honorable thing?

It's an honorbale thing becuase they are in it 100% for the sake of jus making music, they don't care about money, they just want people to enjoy thier songs.

i don't really get it. and whats so great about giving away thrift store clothes that are spray painted and cheap cdrs of homemade recordings? i mean, who would pay for that shit anyways?

Whats "great" about it is that they are not making any money, they don't have enough money to pay to get cd's duplicated and get merch so they do what they can stil without chaging anything. Thier shirts designs are cool anyways and they also take time to do.

i am not talking shit here people. just confused. i checked out the tunes and have seen them live. they are okay and god forbid, they could be a lot worse.

Maybe you think thier muisc could be a lot of better but thier diy spirit is about as high as one can get.

okay, so you can have one band that begged their way on to the warped tour and operates like any other band and then another that is so DIY they don't wanna get paid and that's such an honorable thing?

i don't really get it. and whats so great about giving away thrift store clothes that are spray painted and cheap cdrs of homemade recordings? i mean, who would pay for that shit anyways?

i am not talking shit here people. just confused. i checked out the tunes and have seen them live. they are okay and god forbid, they could be a lot worse.

Do you people realize that the only reason that these people can afford to have everything free is because they are all in bands that do make money?

Really? What band is that? Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think Arrogant Sons of Bitches or Highschool Football Heros are raking in dough.
Also, I might be niave but in the notes for this album Jeff mentions many times that he lives with his parents and works a minimum wage job in his basement.
-Dante

Anonymous (January 8, 2006)

Do you people realize that the only reason that these people can afford to have everything free is because they are all in bands that do make money?

This is true punk attitude... Nothing for sale. That's brilliant. They put on an awe-inspiring live show, and are some of the coolest people I've ever met. I drove an hour and a half to see them, then shacked them up for the night in my living room. I can't wait for their Preisdent's Day 7" with Rick Johnson to come out; I suggest everyone buy it, since it's for a very good cause.

"Good catchy music, funny song titles (I got a little Dillinger Four vibe there), great ethics, and what I imagine to be a fine live show."

Funny you should mention that.... Dillinger 4 is one of Jeff's favorite bands.

thanks to sirens for writing the review and thanks to skaboom for submitting the news of this fine band

Anonymous (January 8, 2006)

Two things:
1) How long do you think it will be until the young Anarcho kids start calling this band the next Against me! (Or the band Against Me! should hav been)?
2) It sucks that this band broke up.
-Dante

God, I love this band. It just feels so honest. It ironically feels much more like a real "product" or a complete package than actual physical cds. It isn't just music, it has personality, they answer to absolutely no one when they write and record, so it comes out as raw emotion. (Not emotional as in emo, mind you). You can tell at once how much they love music, but how much they hate the music industry, as evidenced by their many songs about their friends with well paying jobs or in bigger bands. (Congratulations, John, on joining ETID). A couple songs are a bit synth/keyboard heavy when I think they would be better served by horns, specifically the intro to BTMI...are fucking dead, but it's a minor complaint. Stand There Til Youre Sober is probably the best track on here, and Syke! Life is awesome is a great way to close out the album, once the guitar distortion kicks in, the last 2 1/2 minutes you can't help but just shout along at a breakneck pace until the very last words.

These guys prove that there really is so much more to being in a band than churning out a new 30 minutes worth of overproduced and overpriced songs every two years. They are quickly becoming the most important band in ska-punk.